


The big sea, aot oc story

by Marikanin



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:15:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26343988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marikanin/pseuds/Marikanin
Summary: I wanted to share the story of my most developed oc, especially in the attack on titan fandom. I hope you will enjoy it! It won`t have regular updates, but please bare with me!
Relationships: Armin Arlert&Mari Riench
Kudos: 2





	1. New adventures

Chapter 1: A new start   
Shiganshina district seemed like Mirelle Riench's second home, though she had never spent one night there. Due to selling a lot of things, including medical supplies, Felix had gotten to know several doctors around, most importantly, Grisha Yaeger. Compared to the ''more modern'' Trost district as her father Felix called it when no one was around, Shiganshina was at least a pleasant place to stay. Mostly because of the people whom Mirelle, or Mari as she was known as, had met. She still remembered the first day she met her closest friends fondly. Mari was around 9 years old as she stepped out of the boat. Her shoulder length brown hair got in her face as a gust of wind blew as they walked to safe ground. While her father's longer hair which was tied in a ponytail, made it easy to see that the father and daughter looked very much alike.

"Woooow it's so big here!" Mari exclaimed excitedly as she held on to her father's hand. Grinning from ear to ear taking in everything that could be seen and heard of the city from where they stood. The townspeople were going about their day and Mari could see the wood and stone buildings from far away, but even easier see the even bigger wall that protected them from titans.  
"Mhm, so it's important that you learn your way around here quickly" explained Felix as he guided his young daughter through the crowd towards the city itself.

Gazing at the buildings and people, it felt like entering a whole new world. Children were playing tag in the streets, while the adults did some errands. Feeling the sudden urge to go over and ask if she could join in, Mari's brown eyes looked longingly at them. She hadn't had many friends in Trost as she preferred staying by herself. Since her mother, Elisabeth was a seamstress, it was only natural that she wanted to teach her daughter what she knew. Dedicated to learning her mother's sewing techniques, Mari was happy to spend more time with her this way.

Felix looked at his daughter and the way she gazed at the children, not needing words to understand what she was thinking. She was definitely longing for friends whom she could relate to one way or another. Even though there were a lot of kids in trost, his daughter didn't feel as interested as she might have liked. He knew Mari was a talkative person and usually not that shy when friends came over, but maybe it was simply because she preferred staying in the comforts of her home. For now, Felix knew this was the chance to help Mari make some new friends.

"How about I introduce you to someone I know?..." he asked. Mari`s chocolate brown eyes widened at this question and a smile appeared on Mari's face as she nodded eagerly in acceptance. The pair continued their way down the street. There were stores with books and grocery stalls where one could buy food. Mari only had a sketchbook and a handkerchief she was embroidering in her bag. She looked so small compared to her father walking closely alongside him, excited about what they would see in Shiganshina and who they'd meet.  
"Who exactly are they anyway, dad?"   
"Someone who often buys medicine from me, he has children around your age whom you could play with. I think you'd get along!" Approaching an area where a lot of houses, with stone bridges keeping things up, Felix realized that he had to hurry for a meeting in a different part of the town.  
"Is it that late already?- I have to hurry- if you don't know which house is the right one, ask for Mr. or Mrs.Yaeger, understand? They should be well-known enough around here for people to know where they live. Be careful out here Mirelle" he said quickly, giving his daughter a big hug which she returned.  
"When are we going home dad?- i don't want you to forget me here" she asked a bit nervously.

"In the evening, so just stay here at the Yeager's place" he assured her, kissing her forehead before heading in the opposite direction, leaving Mari to explore this huge place. At first this annoyed her greatly, she didn't want to be entirely by herself! She had never been here before and knew nothing about the place! 'Great, now I'm on my own...' she thought to herself, not able to hold back a sigh as she felt a bit unsafe by herself. At least her father had told her where to go, so that was something. Holding on to her bag while strolling down the street, Mari kept an eye out for things. When alone in unknown places, Mari could understandably get easily anxious. Why did her father need to go so soon? she didn't feel ready for this, even though she could easily navigate in Trost, this was an entirely different town. 

Deep in her own thoughts as she focused on the road ahead of her, voices and some unsettling noises could be heard further away, making Mari turn her head. The sound of someone getting punched was what made the young girl run in the direction it came from, she had a feeling something bad was happening. Her hands started shivering a bit and a gulp escaped her lips, Mari`s gut-feeling told her to check out what was going on. forcing her feet to cooperate, the brunette walked towards the direction the sounds came from. She was going away from the path that lead to the yeagers house! Hopefully it wouldn`t be that hard to find the way back. The closer she got to the scene, the content of the conversation could be heard.

"Say that again, I dare you!" yelled a boy who was older than Mari, two other boys whom most likely were his friend, watched as they cornered a smaller boy. Even though he was smaller, he still stood up with a tight lip, a bruise could be seen on his cheek.  
"You aren't going to get anywhere by taking your anger out on me, the fact that you're doing this proves that the only way you fight is with your fists"  
"Stop trying to lecture me you damn nerd!-"

Mari's heart beat stopped for a moment as she approached the small ally where this was happening. She had never seen someone get beaten up before... she knew that kids could be mean, but this was another level for her. That didn't mean, she was simply going to stand there and do nothing... her hand clutched on to her bag before she decided to take action. This was the scariest thing she had ever done to say the least!  
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She yelled loudly, catching the eyes of the boys ahead of her. Running towards them, Mari gulped as she saw the four boys looking at her, the bullies with a surprised, but mocking expression, while the boy who was cornered looked at Mari with concern. Even so she glared at them angrily, still holding on to her bag.

"Huh? Who's that girl? I haven't seen her around before" said one of the boys as he clenched his fists.  
"Who cares, she's probably just another friend of Arlert" said the other one who was holding Armin againt the wall.  
"I said, LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" finally getting there, Mari kicked one of them in the knee, feeling some sort of relief that she made it in time. At the same time, some sort of panic, she had never picked a fight with someone before, not three boys at once, that was the last thing she would have wanted. Even so, she refused to simply look away when someone was treated badly!

"Oi- let go of me!" snarled one of the boys suddenly. Mari had grabbed on to the one who held the bullies' victim. She didn't punch him, but desperately tried dragging the boy away from the danger, but It wasn't as easy as she thought. Mari kept trying to make him let go but ended up getting held by the largest of the boys as she had gotten preoccupied with the one holding the victim. Now Mari was about to become one herself.  
"Seems like your little girlfriend here isn't going to be much help either" teased one of the boys mockingly as they watched Mari who didn't even know them struggle against their grip. The blond boy tried breathing calmly, to him Mari's involvement could only make it worse for both of them.

"She's- not my girlfriend- just leave her out of this??" he tried to explain, not wanting more harm.  
" You can do what you want to me but she shouldn't get involved!" The boy protested, but they didn't listen, to their surprise however, this newcomer was not backing down that easily.  
Mari immediately started dragging her arm out of the boy's grip, taking them off guard with her quick reaction time. The blond boy who was in a similar crisis as Mari, looked at her worriedly not able to do anything himself. Being held by her arms, it was hard not to completely panic as this was such a mind-blowing experience. It did not feel good, not one bit as the smaller brunette continued fighting to get loose. 

Seeing no other way out, she stomped on his foot hardly, making the chubby boy who held her grunt in pain, finally allowing a slightly breathless Mari to break loose.  
"What-!!" gasped the boy who held the other victim, looking around for a moment, that was a mistake considering what happened next.  
"Be careful!" had the blond boy managed to exclaim, but before he could say another word, the boy who had previously held him was pushed away. The hand which had previously been violent and had meant harm, was replaced by a smaller and gentler hand, they were strong as well.

As the two children ran down the street, being quicker than the bigger bullies fortunately, mari did not dare look behind. This was the most risky thing she had ever done, but she didn't regret it!  
"Wait- I am not going to run away from a fight like this" gasped the blond boy, trying to pull his hand away.  
"What do you mean?! You really wanna let those bullies hurt you more? I don't think so! Besides why didn't you fight back- You can't just let others treat you like trash! No one deserves that, my dad always tells me that at home-" 

"Because it wouldn't be any better than them if I did, hate only creates more hate! And I am not running away from my problems when I can prove my point" he said in a slightly icy tone, he wished she hadn`t gotten involved, she could have gotten hurt!  
"... but isn't it better if you can run away, and be sure to continue your fight another time?..." asked Mari as they ran past a few small houses, making heads turn from time to time.  
''Even so… If i never run away, I never really loose in the endˋˋ argued Armin not letting go of her hand.  
ˋˋEven if It gets you hurt?... what good will that pride do then?ˋˋ

As the two started to become breathless from running, they stopped in their tracks. They now realized that they had come a long way from where they had been to another part of the town. Looking at each-other the two children almost looked confused, surprised about how far they had ran feeling the adrenalin rushing through their bodies.  
''... Sorry about that, I can get a bit emotional when It comes to this'' the boy apologised once the situation had become calmer   
"I... realize I never told you my name! i'm Armin Arlert, what's your name? I haven't seen you here before"

"I'm Mirelle Riench. but call me Mari! It's my first time here actually... I was supposed to find doctor Yeager's house, but now I have no idea where in town we are"  
"Doctor Yeager? I know him! My best friends live there... i'd be happy to show you the way, I was on my way to visit them before the... bullies came along"  
"Really?? What a struck of luck, huh? I would never have expected to meet someone like you here, and if I hadn't come in time the bullies would have bothered you even longerˋˋ  
ˋˋLuck?...” he thought for a moment, a smile appeared as he thought more about it.  
“I guess you have a point! We wouldn't have met otherwise. We are lucky despite it allˋˋ

Soon they finally arrived at the Yeager's footstep by their modest and cozy home, Mari looked at the house curiously, but followed Armin's lead as he knocked on the door. They were greeted a few moments later by a darkhaired woman, smiling at the sight of them.  
"Armin! Eren and Mikasa were wondering when you would come" said Carla Yeager warmly, but with a look of worry as she immediately noticed the bruise on Armin's face caused by the bullies. She didn't need an explanation to understand what had happened.

"This is my friend Mirelle, her father knows Mr Yeager apparently" began Armin explaining, attempting to make it easier for Mari to introduce herself as she seemed anxious in the face of new experiences.  
"Mhm- Felix Riench, i'm his daughter, but he had to run for a meeting, so he told me to go here" Mari said softly and gave her new acquaintance a friendly smile.  
"Ah I see, my husband has bought medicine from him several times. It's nice to meet you Mirelle, i'm Carla Yeager"

A few moments later two other children arrived, a boy who definitely had to be Mrs Yeager's son, and a blackhaired girl who didn't seem to be related to neither of them. the brownhaired boy noticed mari quickly, looking at Armin questionably. Whilst Carla was busy grabbing a cloth, she poured it in cold water so Armin could use it to cool down, Mari looked at the two other children with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness.  
"Eren, Mikasa, aren't you gonna say hi?"  
"Hi, i'm Eren" said Eren simply, raising his hand in greeting.  
"Hello" Mikasa seemed to be a much more reserved person to Mari, who was a bit nervous meeting Armin's other friends. They seemed nice at least.

"Hey- Armin told me about you when we walked over here-" smiling shyly while holding her hands behind her back, the smaller brunette felt a bit awkward, wondering what to say next. Luckily Armin was leading the conversation right now.

"Mari... helped me get away from the bullies, so the least I could do was show her the way here"  
"Wow! You did?" asked Eren, mildly impressed that Mari had managed to get them both away from there on her own. He knew that Mikasa was more than capable of fighting herself, but Mari didn't look like someone who longed for a fight.   
"Well, Armin and I didn't really agree on how to do things, but here we are" Mari rubbed the back of her head, slightly embarrassed by this fact. It was a relief that despite this she and Armin had managed to get along

Once Carla had given Armin the wet cloth, the four children started talking to eachother more casually, it was interesting to get to know these kids from Shiganshina. Mari liked how different the three were so different, but still had their harmony between them in their friendship. Would she be able to fit in this mix of personalities? Before having even getting to know them, Mari was worried that they wouldn't like her. the last thing she wanted was to get on their bad sad now that she could finally make friends. And thus, Mari had found friendship in the most unlikely of places... but it wouldn't last forever.


	2. Lost childhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One year went by so quickly, way too quickly

Chapter 2: a childhood they would never regain  
Eagerly looking over the edge of the boat, Mari looked at city which had almost become a second home to her. She was smiling from ear to ear, happy to be back in Shinganshina. The moment she had said goodbye to her father once more, Mari was quick to start heading towards the Yeager`s house. While heading down the road, some people waved at her wishing Mari welcome back. People had started to recognize her as she kept visiting and she liked it here. Now it was easier to find her way around town.

When Mari finally found her friends sitting by themselves near the river, it seemed like they were discussing something, while Mikasa simply watched them. A bright smile appeared on Mari's face while running towards them. either way she was happy to be with them again!  
''Eren! Armin! Mikasa!'' she exclaimed happily, the sound of her voice making them turn their heads to see her.  
''Mari! Welcome back'' smiled Armin as she hugged him.  
''It's nice to see you'' greeted Mikasa with a slight smile, happy to see her friend.  
''Heya! Been a while! We were just discussing the possibility of getting out of these walls'' explained Eren eagerly as the four were reunited.

''Oh, you were?'' asked Mari and sat down next to them.  
''Yeah! How do you think we could do It?'' Eren often had ideas, but were it sensible enough? Mari thought of this question for a moment before replying.  
''l always imagined doing It by hot-air balloon actually... but we don't know if there are any humans left outside the walls” Unknown to them, it was due to an airballon that Armin didn`t have his parents anymore… but   
''True, what if this is just one part of the world? What if everything out there still exists and we just have to go beyond these walls to see it? it might seem impossible… but we can`t trust the walls to keep us safe forever”  
Armin touched his bruised cheek, as he have gotten it from the bullies who still hadn`t stopped going after him and his friends despite how long time had passed, but Armin was made of harder stuff than one would think at first glance. Mari had learnt to see that as she got to know him better and she admired him for his strength. she looked over to the blond a bit worriedly, mixed with the sense of guilt as she hadn`t been there to prevent it. Bullying had become an important subject for Mari ever since she had learnt how it could affect people first-hand. She despised it. to her it was simply unthinkable that people could be so mean to others. Teasing and bullying had been something her parents hadn`t explained the difference between due to her not going outside that often while in Shiganshina but meeting her friends had given her more life experience, to say the least.

As the subject changed back to going outside the walls, they all knew It couldn't be that simple. Would they be able to make hot air balloons or would the military, those sworn to protect humanity defeat the titans at last? The possibilities were endless for their childish ideas, but what more could they do for now? As the friends kept talking, a loud noise and smoke started appearing.  
''What was that?'' asked Eren and jumped up. Followed by his friends they ran to Wall Maria, where all the citizens in the District started gathering. What the hell was going on?...  
Mari felt her heart beat faster as she saw a gigantic hand on the well. A few children younger than Mari and the others cling on to their parents not knowing what was going on.   
''A-A titan... how?'' she whispered terrified and stood behind Mikasa shaking in fear.   
'Are we going to die? What is gonna happen?' thought Mari not knowing what to do. They had to run, NOW. She desperately searched after her father with her eyes, but the kind man was nowhere to be seen. Holding their breaths, the people of Shinganshina waited for their doom. As the 50 meter tall titan lifted it's enormous foot, It felt like time stood still when suddenly It was too late. A loud bang was heard and everything went to hell. Pieces of the wall came flying as the titan kicked a hole through the wall. People started screaming in panic while running for their lives.  
Titan slowly but surely came through the wall. Their worst nightmare had come to life, after one century of peace. Grabbing Armin's hand, they started running for their lives. Followed by Eren and Mikasa they knew everyone had to flee.  
''Wait... we have to find mom! One of the rocks could have hit our home!'' exclaimed Eren and looked worriedly at Mikasa.   
''We have to hurry then!'' said Mikasa.

''Get to the boats as soon as possible! Me and Mari will see if it's possible to find grandpa and mister Felix'' Said Armin, he was concerned if they'd even survive this.  
''Be careful you two!'' said Mari who was preparing herself to run to the boat with Armin to evacuate, but her friend realized something important  
“Wait, we have to tell Mr. Hannes where they`re going, Mari! They won`t be able to save Mrs. Yeager if their house really was hit” Not daring to let go of his hand as they ran in between panicked citizens who could crush them if they got in the way, the two children desperately tried to find the man who had been keeping an eye on them for as long as they could remember. The least they could do for their friends was trying to get help!

Maneuvering between the ruined houses, Mari felt tears well up in her eyes seeing heartbroken people lose their families. Despite the gut-wrenching sensation in her chest however, she knew there was no time to care. They had to survive no matter what.  
''Urgh we have to run faster!' thought Mari desperately and tried to keep up with Armin even though her feet hurt. She had never liked running, not one bit, but that didn`t matter in that moment. As Titans were noticed in the distance, Garrison soldiers were already on their way. Getting closer to the soldiers Armin finally caught eye of Hannes who seemed less drunk than he had been in 3 years.   
“Mr. Hannes!” cried Armin and Mari at the same time, easily getting his attention as he looked at them, his fists were shaking, clearly trying to keep his composure despite the danger surrounding them   
“Armin- Mari! Why aren`t you running to the boat? Aren`t Mikasa and Eren coming-“ asked Hannes anxiously, looking around for the missing children. Grisha had went to an client further inside the walls so he wasn`t in town right now.

“They went to find Carla! But we don`t know if they can get her on their own, their house might have been hit!”  
“No- darn it, why did they do that?!” Hannes clutched on to his head, thinking of stupid it was to risk their lives like that, but more than that… he needed to get there in time, he owed their family after all. Taking a deep breath he looked at the young children who looked at him pleadingly  
“I`ll go see what I can do, just run to the boat for now! stay safe you two, got it?” he said strictly, ruffling Armin`s golden locks before running towards where a huge titan was heading. He had to do what he could to save Carla and her kids before it was too late! “Thank you sir- be careful!” yelled Mari after him before being dragged away by Armin as he had noticed someone they knew approaching them.  
“Good heavens there you are!” a old man wearing an hat hurried over at the sight of the children.

''Grandpa!'' exclaimed Armin as they spotted his grandfather outside his house. Relieved to see them alive, Artemis Arlert quickly grabbed their hands and took them with him. They didn`t have any time for hugs and he didn`t want to start explaining now as the situation was already starting to get worse. He was an old man but was surprisingly quick for his age. As they hurried through town Mari kept looking to see if there were any signs of her father, where in the world was he? Had he made it out in time?  
''Have you seen my dad??'' asked Mari while running with them.  
''No l haven't! Maybe he's already on the boat?... either way, we do not have any time to waste, we need to get to the boat in time''  
''But what if he's looking for me?'' asked Mari with fear in her eyes. She didn't want him to get eaten while looking for her. “I don`t know Mirelle, but right now I need to make sure you two stay alive… he knows you`ll stay with us one way or another, and we`ll have to trust that he`ll find us by the boat eventually”  
“I don`t wanna leave without him!!” cried Mari suddenly, trying to drag her arms away from their grip, the thought of losing her father was too much to bear! How would her mother react?   
“Right now we don`t have much choice in the matter, so please, just follow us! He wouldn`t want you to be in danger, nor do we” Artemis had promised Felix the time they met that if he saw Mari in need of help he would without a doubt keep an eye on her.   
“Mr. Arlert… I don`t wanna leave him-“   
“I know, but... he would rather you stick with us rather than risking your own life. Can you trust us on that Mirelle?” 

She gulped, her tounge dry as sand as she had to make a choice. Whispering an “okay” in reply, the group continued down the street leading to the boats. There was no way she could find Felix by herself with everyone running around in panic. Despite her hopeful and naïve nature, Mari had some common sense at least. The last thing she wanted was for these two kind men to die for her sake as well. Avoiding falling rocks and the heavy steps of giants towering above and around them, the screams continued being unbearable. More people were lost by the second, and all Mari could do, was run.  
More than anything, she asked herself, WHY! Was there any reason behind this torture? She was not religious, so she didn`t believe this was some devine punishment. In this moment, a titan taller than the wall had caused the ruin of their lives, but for what reason? It was not an normal titan, but what did she know about it? Besides, what was going to happen after they evacuated?... 

“THERE!” Armin pointed towards the boat leading out of Shiganshina, clinging on to his grandfather and Mari`s hand tightly. By all means they had to stay together. “Please let these two onboard, i`m with them” said Artemis to one of the soldiers, allowing them to get on board.  
Sitting down on the floor of the boat the three caught their breaths, Artemis especially felt exhausted from running. “We made it…” said Artemis before letting out a small cough, covering his arm.  
“Thank goodness…” whispered Mari as she sat down on the floor.  
“Do we just have to wait for the others then?...”  
“Yes, for now at least”


	3. Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a lot of feelings change people, but how do you handle it all when you`re just 10?

Chapter 3: grief

Were Eren and Mikasa able to find Mr Riench and Mrs Yeager?... Mari truly hoped so, noticing the way Armin anxiously looked over the edge of the boat, she wished there was some sort of comfort… all they seemed to be able to do was wait… each minute counted as they sat there silently, comtenplating about all they had lost. Armin who understood the severity of the situation didn`t wish to worry Mari even more by asking his grandfather “where do we go now?” about to sit down again it was in just that moment when he saw two familiar figures on land, making his heart sigh in relief.  
“They`re here!”

''AH! EREN! MIKASA!” shouted Mari immediately, jumping up from her seat, Mari ran over to Armin, waving at their friends whom had been lead to the boat by Mr.Hannes. However, it was only them… and the looks on their faces could send chills down their spine. The mix of sorrow and shock, anger was obvious. And the fact that Carla was not present could only mean… Carla had to be… 

“Armin- M-Mrs. Yeager isn`t there” her voice trembled as she uttered those words. The warm sensation of Armin grabbing her hand immediately told them both the two must have seen something beyond comprehension.  
“You should leave them be for now…” instructed Artemis them sadly, aware that making the traumatized children retell their story right now would be too much to ask. Sometimes one needed the silence to cope and understand the situation. Armin and Mari nodded in understanding. The one day Eren went completely quiet was an quite unimaginable indeed. Once the two finally arrived, Mari had already sat down next to Artemis. Being the one to greet their friends, Armin felt nervous seeing the terrified looks on their faces. Especially Eren seemed to be the one most affected physically, his eyes mirroring a boy whom had seen a whole new side of hell. Whilst Mikasa almost seemed like a deep sea, her sorrow running further and further down the drain.

Eren?...'' asked Armin, a little scared to even know what happened.  
''I'll kill them... I’ll kill every last titan'' he growled under his breath as tears ran down his face...  
...  
...  
Eren and Mikasa had tried to get Carla, Eren's mother out from their house. However, a titan had come, and they weren't strong enough to pull her out. Luckily Mr. Hannes had managed to get there in time thanks to Armin and Mari telling him about the situation. Carla had begged him to save the children. Wanting to help all of them he tried to fight the titan but was too scared. Grabbing Eren and Mikasa, he got them to safety while Carla sadly got eaten. Mari gazed at her friends with pity, wishing there was anything she could do to help. But Eren, he seemed angry most of all. Despite the pain, there was still a raging fire in his eyes, fueled by his hatred towards titans. That fire would drive him forward. 

Watching Eren worriedly, Mari found herself clutching on to her knees, staring at the crimson red sky still filled up with smoke. The boat was about to leave… where was her father? Standing up once more, she walked over to Eren wanting to see if there were anyone she recognized that had yet to get on the boat, but it was barely able to contain all of the people onboard. 

“He`s still not here…” she said sadly, the gulp in her throat swelling up whenever she tried talking after that. Maybe he would go on another boat?... more might be able to come after all? she wanted to believe so…  
The boat started heading towards wall Rose as the gate of Shiganshina district was crushed by another, smaller titan with armor like body. Despite shivering like a leaf, she managed to take a small nap on the boat as this horrifying experience would affect her for a long time. Eren, Mikasa and Armin rested on each-others` shoulders as well. Before falling asleep Mari wondered: Maybe if she remembered her way around, she could find the way to her aunt Anette`s house? Mari and her father had travelled there a couple of times when going to Shiganshina, but it had been such a long time… however, if they did get there, she could provide shelter for her friends…   
…

When they arrived in wall rose, the crowd of refugees went on land both hungry and tired. Armin`s grandpa found a safe place where the children could rest for the night. while they were asleep, he had gone outside to talk with other adults about what would happen next. After Artemis had left, Mari sat up close to her friend around a small campfire they had made. Mikasa adjusted her scarf a bit to make herself less cold since it was getting really dark. Eren was still quiet, staring at the fire intensely, it was scary how his eyes glowed because of the flames.  
“Hey guys… what do you think is going to happen next?” asked Mari quietly, making her friends look up a bit. Mikasa sighed softly, thinking for a moment before she replied. “For now there is not much we can do… We don`t have a home to go to… so for now we`ll have to survive on the rations the soldiers give us…” she explained simply, hugging her knees. She was still in shock of losing a member of her family again. Now she only had her friends left in this world. “Mhm…”  
“My aunt and uncle live in wall Rose… but I don`t know where? If I found out, we could maybe stay there” she had thought of it before she took a nap on the boat, but now she suggested it herself. “There would not be enough space for all of us, Mari… you already have two cousins living there and we wouldn`t want to burden them” explained Armin softly, but he was grateful for her offer, it did seem like a good idea, but the limited space was a problem they couldn`t ignore. “But, I don`t want you to be homeless… besides I don`t think I can face my- I… I wanna stay with you guys”

Eren looked at Mari in surprise, not quite able to understand why she would not use every chance she could get to get home. Then again, they all knew Mari wasn`t someone who abandoned people easily. She was very loyal to those who needed and cared for her. He simply staring at her before saying: “Won`t you be wasting time then?... you at least got a home to return to…”   
“How am I supposed to get home without any money anyway? I`d starve before that… besides, you`re my friends and I don`t want to leave you. So, you`re either coming with me, or i`m staying here. Seems like the obvious option is clear anyway…”  
“Okay then…” Eren seemed decently satisfied with her answer surprisingly, almost like he was happy that their friend would be staying, despite the gloomy expression that still daunted his face. “Do you think we`ll do farming work soon? almost seems like servant labour…”   
“Not like we have much choice if they`re gonna continue providing us with food during winter” 

“I suppose it`s the least we can do…” letting out a yawn, Mari looked at how dark the sky had become already. Funnily enough, this was the first time she had some sort of `sleepover` with them. this made things a bit easier for her despite being homeless for the time being. 

“We should go to sleep, we`ll need the energy for tomorrow” said Mikasa then as she noticed Armin had laid down on the floor, completely exhausted from this long day which had begun so decently. Grabbing a blanket she had found, Mari tucked herself in while Mikasa sat closer to the fire. Armin who was trying to fall asleep was still shivering a bit from the cold, so Eren gave him his own blanket. When they all woke up, they didn`t know that something had changed forever.

A few days later, Mari started having doubts… she had been patiently waiting the last couple of days, hoping her father would arrive, but it seemed quite obvious no progress was being made. What solider, especially those cocky MP`s would listen to a little child? Though she had done her best to ask about the progress with Eren, Mikasa and Armin, still nothing had happened in two weeks. One week more passed by and the solider was getting more and more annoyed with Mari`s constant questioning every two days.  
...  
...   
“Stop giving me that look, I know you wanna see your dad, a lot of people are missing their families. But whining about it ain`t gonna bring anyone here faster. Believe me, it`s tough for everyone here” the solider she had asked her questions to replied annoyed. 

“But-“ Mari whispered, she hated being shut down like this. The solider didn`t change his mind.

“Mari, let`s go back…” Mikasa came over as she heard Mari arguing with the same solider again, she was persistent, but there was a limit to how far Mari should go to get what she wanted. 

“Mikasa?... why aren`t you with Eren and Armin?...”   
“I wanted to make sure you were alright… you`re crying”   
“…My dad, he`s not coming back… is he?… it has been a month… it would not make sense for anyone to survive against titans for that long on their own…” there was reluctance in her voice as she said that. Mikasa knew very well how it was to lose one`s family, as she had experienced it twice now, so she sympathized with Mari. Unlike them, she had experienced a normal life in peace for so long and now it was all taken away from her in a flash. Now Mari was starting to tear up herself, swallowing for a moment as the tears threatened to fall down her cheek. She could be whiny at times and selfish when it came to what she wanted, but nobody could blame her for wanting to find her dad. It had been one almost one month already… when was he going to find her? She was only 10 and had a lot to learn in life, but she would have to learn it sooner than expected. But this… this was too much. Pulling her friend into a hug as Mari had started crying, Mikasa didn`t say anything as she held the smaller brunette. This caught Mari of guard as Mikasa was not often that physically affectionate, but this action melted something inside of her. The girls had grown closer as they were the only girls of their little quartet. Eren had Armin, and Mikasa had Mari. They equaled each other and it helped Mikasa break more out of her reserved character from time to time.

Once Mari had managed to calm down, Eren and Armin had found them again and they told what had happened. Little did they know that worse things were yet to come for them despite them being so very young. One week later, the food was starting to run out and it showed. The refugees were restless as they did not know what would become of them. would they ever be able to make their own living again and start a new life in wall Rose? It was harder for everyone to get one decent meal a day, if they got anything other than scraps it was. To save mouths to feed, adults and elderly people were asked to join and try retaking wall maria on their own. However, this was nothing but an excuse to get rid of `burdens to society`. Since Eren, Mikasa, Mari and Armin were children, they did not have to go. Armin`s grandfather on the other hand, had to leave. It was one of the worst days of Armin`s life, it was easy to tell.

Armin still remembered every word his grandfather had spoken before he left, he had memorized them as these were his last words of advice.“Take care of yourselves, alright?... and Armin, don`t forget what I have told you. Don`t let people knock you down without a fight” There was something else he had whispered to him, but those were words Armin preferred keeping in his heart for the time being. Before the soldiers came, Artemis had only final gift to comfort his only grandson: He had placed his hat on Armin`s head, the very hat Armin was now clutching on to his chest with tears running down his face.  
“… He`s not coming back either… I already know that”  
In less than one month, they had all lost a lot:

Mari, her father and her way back home

Mikasa, her second family

Eren, his mother, and his father who had mysteriously disappeared

And Armin had lost his last remaining family member 

They only had each other now, and one plan in mind: to join the military


	4. The 104th cadet squad part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> their first days at the military, new faces and routines. how would it go for them?

-five years earlier…-

“Lisa, darling! Is Mirelle still working on that dress of hers?” Asked Felix as he was reading by the dinnertable, while his wife Elisabeth was teaching a 5 year old mari how to sew. The duo were often spending time together, and both mother and daughter had very similar personalities.   
“yes dear, she has improved a lot actually” his wife, a woman with beautiful reddish brown hair informed him, as she sat next to the little girl.  
“mhm!! Look dad!!” Agreed Mari eagerly. She was very young, but eager to learn from her mother. The mother and daughter sat on the floor surrounded by a few pieces of fabric that Elisabeth had managed to bring home from work.

Proudly getting up from the floor with the “dress” she was trying to make, with her mother`s help, it was hard not to adore the little girl who smiled so eagerly. Felix gazed at his family lovingly as he closed his book, Mari had tried her best, but needed some help from her mother to make sure the dresses didn`t fall apart. The brown-haired man who wore his long hair in a ponytail sat down next to his wife. Caressing Elisabeth`s hand as Mari sat down in her lap he wrapped his other arm around them.

“You really are your mother`s daughter…`` the voice she had missed for so long, it was always so tender and loving towards them both. To them, they had been the apples of his eyes for as long as he had been in their lives. the feeling of longing clenched itself onto mari`s chest as she woke up, heart beating like a drum from this lifelike dream. Or rather, it was a memory from when she was little… darn it, after all this time she still remembered how much she had been loved by her parents. It only made her miss them both even more, more so now with the distance between wall rose and trost district. And now her father whom she`d never see again in this world…

The year was 847, the children that survived the shinganshina incident had grown a lot. After 2 years they had all turned 12 and were considered old enough to join the military as trainees if they could get through the training and tests that awaited them in return for being able to bravely serve humanity. It had been a long time, but one thing was clear to them. Humanity was not broken down yet. With clear motives in their heads, they had a hope for the future. To be free from this cage. It was now their first day as soldiers in waiting. As mari woke up next to mikasa in the small area she and the two boys shared together as refugees, they`d finally sleep in real beds in a safe place with food and water.   
Rolling on her side again she sighed deeply, her now long brown hair covering her face, the young girl pondered whether she should wake the others up yet, what time was it even at this point? Deciding to sit up at least she watched her friends still sleeping, Armin next to Eren as usual. For two years she had lived alongside them in a sort of uncertain existence, on the military`s mercy as they relied on rations and people`s kindness to live on as refuges. It would be hard to adjust to the life of a solider, as it would acquire a lot of concentration, obedience and discipline. Mari had never been used to taking orders herself and had lived in a very non-formal household as an only-child. Nonetheless she knew the importance of politeness, honesty and kindness, values she held closely to her heart.

A few hours later once all four had woken up and headed towards the military headquarters one could feel the mixed emotions. Eren was definitely excited to say the least, eager to learn how to use the gear soldiers used when fighting. It had been one of his favorite subjects throughout the two long years they had been fighting to survive as orphans. Mikasa on the other hand was less enthusiastic, mostly because her motive was simply protecting those she cared for. Armin wanted to make a change in the world in any way that he could, despite his small size and lack of strength he had the mind of a tactician. While Mari, her only motive was finding a way to find her family, but also be able to stay with her friends. 

No matter the case, she wasn`t going to turn back now. As they now stood lined up on the enormous training field at east military headquarters inside wall Rose, their three-year long training would now begin. Standing in one of the front rows due to her short height, Mari felt the gulp form in her throat from nervousness as the scary instructor approached them.  
''Who are you and where are you from?!'' Yelled Keith Shadis as he stood in front of Mari way too soon for her liking. How was she supposed to mentally prepare herself for this-.  
''Mirelle Riench sir! From Trost district, sir'' replied Mari with a clear voice, despite shaking slightly but kept a brave face. Her brown eyes were focused as she tightened her fist to feel some sort of control in that terrifying situation.

''As if a pipsqueak like you could be a solider, and stop shaking you maggot!” Yelled shadis and walked to terrify another unfortunate cadet. Mari`s face heated up from this embarrassment in front of everyone. it was bad enough being judged for her height- but mentioning her shaking was just painfully embarrassing. It may not have been the biggest deal to others, but it certainly wasn`t fun for anyone who experienced the same to be called out like that. The only comfort was that everyone were in the same shoe here. They were in this, together.

Once the worst was over hours later after their first training classes, everyone were free to retire for the day to mentally prepare for the day that awaited them. While walking through the crowds of other children their age, Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Mari were surprised by how many actually joined here. What could their reasons be they wondered? Were they like Eren and Armin who wanted to make a change? Did they like Mari not really have any place to go and wanted to make something out of her life? Or did they similarly to Mikasa simply wish to protect those they held dear? They would find out sooner or later, for now the children watched the sunset from the balcony, poor sasha braus however, a fellow cadet, was punished for stealing food and had to run until she passed out.

Standing outside the messhall where the cadets were eating together, it was then fellow cadet connie springer noticed that Sasha was indeed still going and watched her worriedly, followed by the others. Was she going to survive it or had shadis gone too far?...   
“Hey… Shadis` still got that potato girl going?   
“Wait- she`s still going? It`s been around 5 hours now and she hasn`t even stopped?” Mari watched the girl in surprise, she sure had stamina to say the least. It was kind of worrying too.   
The look on her face when she was told she had to run until she was at the brink of death was nothing compared to when the instructor told her she wouldn`t get any food today” commented Marco sympathetically, although Sasha had it coming for stealing food that wasn`t hers.

“If memory serves… she`s from Dauper, a hunter village hidden deep in the mountains” said Connie crossing his arms as he looked away from the running girl.   
“I had no idea villages like that existed, hey come to think of it… where are you guys from?” Asked Marco as he turned towards Eren, Armin and Mari who were still outside.  
“I`m from Shiganshina, same as Armin. Mari is from Trost but she`s visited us since she was 9. But then we moved to a settlement and stayed there until we were 12” explained Eren to Marco, putting one hand each on armin and mari`s shoulders. Marco`s eyes widened for a moment. “Come to think of it, Mirelle- I mean Mari, my friend Jean is also from Trost!” This seemed to ring a bell for the brunette as she did indeed remember the name from somewhere.... This almost sounded like… 

“Wait… Jean? Do you mean, Jean Kirstein?” She asked, she still remembered a lot from when she lived in Trost. He had lived in a street close to her home, so their mother`s happened to meet eachother when walking to the market. As Elisabeth was a seamstress she also sold clothes to the Kirsteins as well and their children did meet.  
It really was a surprise to Mari honestly that, well not really as a lot of children joined the ranks to help humanity defeat the titans after all as soldiers were needed. 

“Yes! Ah do you know him?” Marco seemed quite surprised, Jean was a friend of his after all, but he didn`t know he and mirelle were acquainted. She nodded in response.   
“I haven`t seen him for years, even more since that day in Shiganshina… we lived around the same street i think” she then gasped for a moment…   
“That means… he might know what happened to my mother”


End file.
